English
inequitable
Inequitable comes from French inéquitable ‘unfair’, from équitable ‘fair’, and ultimately from Old Latin aiquos.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaiquos1
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequus1‘equal, even’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequitās2‘uniformity, evenness, equalness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéquité3‘equity, fairness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéquitable4‘fair’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentinéquitable5‘unfair’
- Englishtodayinequitable5
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin aequitas
- 2 Wiktionary, French équité
- 3 Wiktionary, French équitable
- 4 Wiktionary, French inéquitable
- 5 Wiktionary, English inequitable
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEaiquosWiktionary, Latin aequitas
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequusWiktionary, Latin aequitas‘equal, even’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaequitāsWiktionary, French équité‘uniformity, evenness, equalness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéquitéWiktionary, French équitable‘equity, fairness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéquitableWiktionary, French inéquitable‘fair’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentinéquitableWiktionary, English inequitable‘unfair’
- EnglishtodayinequitableWiktionary, English inequitable
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *aikʷos
through Old Latin aiquos
through Latin aequus ‘equal, even’
equal, equation, equate, egalitarian, 14 more
through Latin aequitās ‘uniformity, evenness, equalness’
Today it means
adj unfair, unequal or unjust.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “inequitable”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin aequitas, French équité, French équitable, French inéquitable. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Old Latin aiquos / inequitable